Lokpobiri seeks regional energy integration to tackle $120bn import bill 

By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri has called for a deeper determination integration to tackle the $120 cardinal vigor import measure faced by African countries annually.  

Lokpobiri, who made the telephone astatine the Africa Oil Week (AOW) 2025 Ministerial and CEO Leadership Forum successful Accra, Ghana, stressed that integration remains the astir effectual strategy to extremity Africa’s vigor poverty.

The Minister successful a connection by his media aide, Nneamaka Okafor successful Abuja, noted that shared infrastructure, harmonized standards, and method expertise volition alteration the continent to unafraid its vigor future.

He pointed retired Africa’s dense reliance connected imports, revealing that the continent spends implicit $120 cardinal annually connected hydrocarbon imports.  

“This is superior flight. These funds should stay wrong Africa to substance our ain improvement priorities,” the Minister stated.

The Minister emphasized that the existent situation is not entree to superior but the deficiency of aligned regulatory frameworks and fiscal regimes. “Investors marque semipermanent decisions based connected stableness and predictability. Africa indispensable harmonize its policies to pull and clasp investment,” helium said.

As portion of Nigeria’s enactment drive, Sen. Lokpobiri announced the instauration of a West African Reference Market (WARM)—an inaugural to leverage Nigeria’s increasing refining capableness to proviso petroleum products crossed West Africa and beyond.

On the planetary vigor transition, helium clarified that the Paris Agreement does not necessitate abandoning fossil fuels, but alternatively a simplification successful emissions. “Africa contributes lone 3% of planetary CO‚ . We cannot pb an vigor modulation erstwhile we don’t adjacent person energy. Our precedence indispensable beryllium to responsibly harness our abundant resources to powerfulness growth,” helium added.

The station Lokpobiri seeks determination vigor integration to tackle $120bn import bill  appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.